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Perfect Pins Cut and Fit Don’t Fear the Dovetail, Part 2 Scribe the tails accurately and the rest is simple handwork BY CHRISTIAN BECKSV OORT I 68 FINE WOODWORKING n the first half of this two-part article, I described every step of the process I use to lay out, saw, and chop the tails in a through-dovetail joint (FWW #238). I always cut the tails first and use them as the template for the pins. In this part, I’ll show you my method for transferring the tails to the pins, as well as how I cut the pins and assemble the joint. Even if you use a different method to cut the tails—as long as you cut them first—you can apply all these techniques to your process. Transfer the tails with precision When you’re making hand-cut dovetails, transferring the first half of the joint to the second half is where the rubber hits the road. Accurate scribing is essential. Luckily, two of the big benefits to cutting tails first and pins second come into play as you make the Photos: Jonathan Binzen